LEVELS

Beginner – 0-3 months
You have experience of other salsa styles than cross-body, for example cuban style, but you have little or no experince of cross-body.

Intermediate – 9 months to 2 years
Men: You have a good repertoire of turn patterns with the capacity to move easily from one pattern to the next. You will also be able to execute hand changes & directional changes with better balance and more styling whilst keeping in time to the music. Women: You should be able to follow complex turn patterns comfortably and have the ability to demonstrate some interpretive footwork and body styling. You should also be tackling double spins with increasing confidence with a view to perfecting your technique.

Advanced – 2 years + Men: You have the capacity to remember & skilfully lead a series of complex moves with continuity & styling. You understand the Afro-Cuban origins of the music and can tune in easily to the underlying clave or percussive beat and their respective timings. Women: Multiple turns, spins and intricate following are no problem for you. You move like a Salsa Diva! Intricate footwork is challenging, but fun for you. It will not frustrate you or give you a brain meltdown. You are also a seasoned dancer who understands the value of implicity.


STYLES

Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and music which has it roots in African rhythms. The Portuguese brought African slaves to Bahia and Rio De Janeiro and mixed African and Portuguese culture. There are countless of samba schools which each year participate in the big carnivales in Brazil. The Brazilian samba is strongly associated with carnival and different from ballroom samba which is danced in couple and looks very different. Samba is played in 2-count-beat.

Cha-Cha-Cha
A Latin-American dance with 4-beat-count, originally from Cuba. The dance is a further development of mambo and was introduced by bandleader Enrique Jorrin in 1953. It is considered to have gotten it’s name after the pattern of the steps: 2 slow steps followed by 3 quick steps (go-go-cha-cha-cha). The dance came to USA through Mexico and from there on to Europe, where it became very popular. LA Style
Is danced on 1. Most LA style moves are based on the "cross-body lead", where the man leads the woman across his body in a linear motion. LA style does not focus on the complicated arm movements normally associated with the basic Cuban style. Additionally, the LA style turn patterns are normally "in-line", as opposed to "circular" in the Cuban style. LA style differs from the New York style in that the timing is more relaxed. Most importantly, however, is that many of the LA style moves are sexy and flamboyant, with lots of dips, spins, drops and sometime pure acrobatics.

New York Style
Is danced on 2. Most New York style moves are based on the "cross-body lead", where the man leads the woman across his body in a linear motion. The moves are stylish and the woman is always showcased as the centerpiece of the dance. The New York style turn patterns are normally "in-line", as opposed to "circular" in the Cuban style. The moves, or turn patterns as they are called in New York, are very simple and effective. Rather than having complicated entwining turns like the LA style, the patterns are straightforward and the steps are simple. New York style has many spins for the girls as well as the guys.

Cuban Style
Is danced on 1. Cuban Salsa is also known as "Casino Salsa" (from which came "Casino Rueda"). The dance moves are characterized by complicated arm movements. Cuban style turn patterns are normally "circular", as opposed to "in-line" in the LA and New York style. For some unknown genetic reasons, Cubans seems to be born with super flexible joints to do all these difficult maneuvers! Somehow many of their turns seem to defy body geometry! Just as you think that a particular move must be impossible, they'll come up with something that is even more complex! Not only will all the intertwining tunnels and twisting bodywork dazzle you, you'll also be impressed by their rhythmic body movements as well.

Rueda de Casino
Rueda (as it is commonly called in Cuba) is a form of Casino danced in a round with 2 or more couples exchanging partners when one person calls out the turn names ("Rueda" is Spanish for “Wheel”, and “Casino” is known outside of Cuba as “Salsa”). While some of the moves are graceful and intricate, others are just plain funny, such as “fly” where the guys slap their palms together over the girls’ heads in a pretend fly-catcher move (as in "fly ball", not the kind that buzzes around your food!). After all, what is dancing all about if not to have fun with it?!

More workshops will be confirmed